Hu guys
Just making up my firts gravel bike. Looking for a nice fast tyre as about 60% of my riding will be on road but also want something capable enough for the flat lands off Cambridgeshire offroad.
Was thinking G-Ones or Gravel King SK
What are peopels recommendations.
Ritchey Alpine JB WCS.
I'm in Ely and use Gravel King SKs for a similar mix. They work well on most surfaces apart from claggy clay mud but I avoid those areas as they are not fun even with mud tyres.
I really rate the tyres, puncture resistance is good, very supple and roll well on the road. The only time lost grip and come off is on wet grass but no tyre is great for that. Even work well on the trails at Thetford.
I'm currently running the WTB Resolute 700x42. It's a good tyre for most purposes but possibly a bit too knobbly for your use; my rides tend towards 70% plus off road. They still roll well on tarmac, but perhaps just a bit too much tyre for what you're after.
I've done a couple of 200k mostly road rides with WTB Riddler 37s. Not much slower than the gravelking slicks I usually use.
Depends if the offroad bits will be mostly slippery or mostly rocky.
If mostly slippery, something slightly knobbly with a fast rolling middle makes sense, like the Resolute or Schwalbe G-One bite, both of which apparently roll really well given the tread
https://granfondo-cycling.com/the-best-gravel-tire/
If mostly rocky, I'd go for high volume slick, 47mm-50mm or so. Plenty of those in 650b, in 700c not so much but there are Schwalbe G-one speed in 50mm I think
I have one bike with G-One Speeds and another with WTB Riddlers - for mixed road and summer use the G-Ones are great - barely any difference in speed with a slick tyre. The Riddlers have a bigger side knob so have a bit more grip for looser / softer conditions but roll nearly as fast as the G-Ones
What size wheels? Ground conditions? Frame Clearance?
We need to know all those before anyone can recommend.
700c
Got room for up to 45
To be honest ill likely stay on the roads until it gets drier and then just bridleways, fire roads and farm tracks
Anyhting else i will ride on my MTB
Depends as above but had g-ones and gravelkings but then went to Soma Cazadero so good put a set on the son’s bike and bought another set for mine. They were 650b and now for sale as going back to 709c but will be grabbing a pair in 700c x 50 for the new wheels being built
These
https://www.cxmagazine.com/soma-fab-cazadero-42c-gravel-tire-review
700c
Got room for up to 45
In that case Bontrager GR1 or GR2. The GR2 has wider spaced pimples (they are not big enough to be called knobs). Nice supple, light tyres.
If money is no object the Donelly Xplor tubeless are great but around £60 a tyre!
Edit - G-ones and Riddlers are notorious for punctures.
Sounds very similar to me. I've just fitted 38C GravelKings and very impressed in the 18 miles on road I've done so far...
Fast and light. I'm not going off road until it dries out!
Maxxis Rambler 40 do the job for me. Quick enough on the road and plenty fun on the North Downs.
What I have...
40mm G-One Bites, solid on and off, fine in mud, handle the rocks, tubless no issues once they were up. Been running them for the last 10 months now refreshingly good rolling on the road too.
Small Block 8 (33m??) here on the cross wheelset outside of racing season.
To be honest ill likely stay on the roads until it gets drier and then just bridleways, fire roads and farm tracks
Anyhting else i will ride on my MTB
Some 30 or 32mm slicks then.
Some 30 or 32mm slicks then.
Or see the first reply. Ideal for that use case.